FAQ’s

I do my best to answer emails or respond to questions in the comment boxes, but just in case I missed something, here are the most frequently asked questions for your reference:

How can I get a hold of you?
Shoot me an email at lmadesimple@gmail.com.

Can I get your recipes via email?
Yes. If you can’t always visit Life Made Simple for new recipes and posts, you can subscribe to my feed via email. That way when I do post new content it will come straight to your inbox. Subscribing is quick, easy and free, just enter your email into the box on the right hand side of your screen and click submit!

Can I pin your posts on Pinterest?
Of course! I love when readers share my content! And while you’re at it, you can follow me on Pinterest too!

Can I use one of your photos/recipes on my blog?
Yes, as long as you re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to my site for the recipe. I spend a lot of time working to create, photograph and post these recipes and would ask that you would please credit me for that work! I’m always flattered to see someone share one of my recipes on their blog!

Do you do work with brands/companies?
I love working with brands and companies. Contact me via email or learn more here.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
A lot of it comes from the internet, books and magazines. But a lot of it is inspired by day-to-day life… whatever I have on hand or whatever I’m currently craving :) Some of my favorite inspirational blogs include: Tutti Dolci, Cooking Classy, Bakers Royale, Une Gamine Dans la Cuisine, Averie Cooks, Love & Olive Oil, Sally’s Baking Addiction, I am Baker, Damn Delicious, Bakingdom, Iowa Girl Eats, Smitten Kitchen, The Pioneer Woman, My Baking Addiction and Tartelette. They’re all amazing, and there are about 100 other blogs I could easily add to the list!

What is your favorite ingredient to use?
Oooh. I absolutely love vanilla bean paste! I think it adds so much to a recipe.

What is your favorite kitchen gadget?
I’d have to say my KitchenAid. It’s been with me for the past 5 years now and I love it to pieces. I’ll probably run it into the ground pretty soon, it’s been through a lot! I also really love my Silpat mat, microplane, hand juicer, whisks, mini cutting board, and knives. I think they’re all essential gadgets! Shop my favorite products HERE.

Do you eat everything you make?
Yes! My husband and I always try everything you see here on Life Made Simple. I wouldn’t share a recipe with you that I didn’t think was delicious or that didn’t turn out perfectly. That said, we do give lots of goodies away to friends and family… sharing is caring, right???

I made your recipe and it didn’t turn out. What went wrong?!
I try to make sure that all of the recipes I post here on my blog are ones that are foolproof, ones that you can depend on. I make sure to write out clear instructions and give an tips or notes that I found aided the success of the recipe. Please read the post, recipe ingredients and directions before you make a recipe, and for good measure, do it again! Also make sure to have all of your ingredients prepped and ready, it will help a lot! As far as recipe completely flopping goes, there are a multitude of factors that could have caused issues. Altitude, baking time, substituting ingredients, improper mixing of ingredients, ingredients not at room temperature etc. Please leave a comment or email me and tell me what went wrong- I need to know! Hopefully we can troubleshoot and make sure that the recipe does indeed work!

What can I do to make your recipes healthier?
Like I mentioned in the comment above, most of my recipes are successful because of the use of proper ingredients. However, I have recently played around with dairy-free and more wholesome alternatives. In general, you can substitute oil/butter for coconut oil, milk for coconut milk, eggs for an egg replacer or avocado, sour cream for yogurt (or cultured coconut), and all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour (although I’d recommend a 1/2 and 1/2 blend). With that said, I try to note good substitutions in the “notes” section at the bottom of the recipe. Please look there first, or email me! And of course if you’re adventurous or confident with making substitutions, go ahead and try them!

Do you know the nutritional stats on your recipes?
Nope, sorry. I don’t really ever intend on listing them either- it’s a lot of extra time and work, plus the brand I use may not be the same brand you use, which means the stats could be way off! But please feel free to use an online calculator to see for yourself!

What kind of cameras do you use?
I use a Canon 6D with a 50mm 1.4 lens. I use Photoshop CS5 to edit my photos.

What do you and your husband do?
He’s an attorney and I’m a stay-at-home mom. You can read more about what it’s like to be a full-time foodie here :)

Hi, I’m Natalie!

I have a serious sweet tooth and a passion for food photography. Welcome to my happy place!